Printing-telegraph



e. s. HILTZ.

PRINTING TELEGRAPH. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24, 191B.

. 347,580. Patented July 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G S HILTZ PRINTING' TELEGRAPH. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24', 1918-1,347,580. Patented July 27,- 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

9% 5? wwtltmneqs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. HILTZ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STOCK QUOTATIONTELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PRIN TIN G-TELEGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1918. Serial No. 259,507.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. HILTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New'York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Telegraphs, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention for which application for Letters Patent is hereby made,is an improvement in the page printing telegraph system of J. Burry, asystem now well known and in extensive use and more particularly setforth in United States Letters Patent No. 680,693, dated August 20,1901.

In setting forth in the accompanying specification the nature andpurpose of my present improvement I shall not show in any detail theoriginal Burry apparatus, but illustrate it diagrammatically only, butto aid in a more ready understanding of this invention I may give thefollowing general description of that apparatus.

In the Burry system a sun-flower circuit controller is employed inconjunction with a key-board and a clutch magnet which, operated throughthe segments of the sunflower by the depression of keys corresponding tosaid segments, arrests contacts which send positive or negative currentimpulses over one line wire which operate to position the type wheelthrough the instrumentality of an escapement. The keys which, whendepressed thus determine the position of the type wheel also controlthrough suitable instrumentalities current impulses over a second linewire which operate to shift the type wheel from its established positionto bring an adjacent type character or one or another of two adjacentletters thereon into the true printing position and to effect otheroperations in the receiver the nature of which, so far as the presentcase is con-' cerned, are largely immaterial.

The characteristic feature of the original Burry system, so far as maybe of moment in the present case, is, however, that it required andinvolvedthe use of two line wires or circuits, which, for some reasons,is an objection, and-the invention set forth herein is an improvement onthat system broadly in that it involves but a single line wire betweenthe transmitter and one or a plurality of page printing receivers. Thisimprovement is effected by he u e and cooperation of certain circuitsand known electrical devices, and no more clear comprehension of itsnature would be gained by a general statement than will result from aconsideration of the details of mechanism and circuits which will bedescribed by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In general illustration of the nature of the present invention it may,however, be further pointed out that in the Burry system where two linewires were employed, each line had its own current strength and thesewere assumed to be equal, as no difference in current strength wasrequired for its operation. In the present case, however, where one ofthese line wires is dispensed with, I employ three different currentstrengths, the weakest, of say 50 mill ramperes operates the escapementmagnet of the receiver which controls the rotation of the type wheel,and the final impulse of this current, which is prolonged, also operatesthe relay in the receiver which controls the local source of current forthe printing.

The second strength of current which may be assumed to be 100inilli-amperes operates to energize the magnet which shifts the typewheel one step to bring either of two adj acent characters thereon intothe printing position. This current also operates the printingmechanism.

The third current strength which we may assume to be 250 milli-amperesoperates the relay that effects the return of the paper carrier back toits initial position at the end of a line and this current has no otherfunction in the operation of the system.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of the complete system, and Fig.2 a more readily understandable diagram of a timing relay and circuitconnections forming a part thereof.

In the diagram, A represents the keyboard which in practice comprisestwo sets or banks of keys, thirty-six in number, but two only are shown,one in each of two concentric sets of eighteen. B is a portion of thesun-flower rotating in unison with a motor and circuit controller C. Dis a clutch magnet, the functions of which will be more fullyhereinafter described. E is the escapement controlling magnet of thereceiver, and F indicates the group of magnets and other mechanism ofsaid, receiver or pr n er Patented July 27, 1920,

As no mechanism of any new or unusual character is employed and thesystem depends solely upon the arrangement of such mechanism in thecircuits, a detailed description of operation will suflice to show theprecise nature of the invention as a whole. For this purpose we mayassume that 1 is a switch in a circuit 2, 2, which when closed directscurrent through brushes 3, 3 on the commutator of a direct current motorthat normally revolves the clutch armature 4.

The conducting shaft of the motor or clutch armature has an insulatingsegment 5 on one side and three brushes 6, 7 and 8 bearing on the shaft.The brush 6 is always in contact with the metal shaft, and'theinsulating se ment comes alternately under brushes 7' ant 8, so that bythe revolution of the motor shaft the brush 6 is connected electricallyfirst with brush 7 and then with brush 8.

The armature 4 rotates between the poles of a clutch magnet 9, andwhenever current is directed through the coils of said magnet the saidarmature is arrested in the position shown in the drawing, with theinsulating segment 5 under either brush 7 or brush 8. The parts thus fardescribed are well known and belong to the prior art.

Normally, the motor is supplied with current by the closure of switch 1,and the armature 4 is rotated with the result that impulses ofalternately positive and negative current are sent by the proper relaysover the line to the receiver, but these, as will be seen from whatfollows, are so weakened as to be capable ofno opera-' tion in thesystem beyond the usual buzazing and movement of the escapementcontrolling the position of the type wheel. Let it be assumed, however,that the system is to be operated and letters orcharacters transmittedand printed. The switch 10 is closed to connect two batteries 11 and12'to ground at 13. 11 includes a relay 14, while thatof batter 12includes a relay 15 and a normally closed key 16. hen relay 14 isenergized it attracts its'armature 17 and closes the circuit between twoposts 18 and 19. In like manner when relay 15 is active it closes by itsarmature 20 the circuit between two posts 21 and 22. V

The conditions being estai'ilished as thus described, let any given keyas 23 be depressed. This connects a battery 24 through that key anditscircuitwire 25 to the seg ment of the sunflower 26 that corresponds tothat particular key and thence to ground I at 27 One result of this isto close relay 28 and ground one terminal of a battery 29, the otherterminal of which is permanently grounded through the clutch magnet 9and stops the armature which is rotating in uni- The circuit of batterywire 36 to the post 37 of a relay magnet 38,

which, as will be described, is at this moment active, so that thecurrent passes across its armature 47 to post 39, and thence to the post40 of relay 41, which, at the mo-' ment, is also closed. So that thecurrent flows across its armature 42 to post 48, and thence by wire 44to a'regulated resistance 45, and then by wire 46 to the post 48 of relay'49.

It has been assumed that the two relays 38 and 41 are active at theinstant of the passage of the current through these armatures, and thisfact may best be explained by reference to Fig. 2. The clutch magnet isgrounded through wire 81 which includes the coils of a relay 82, whichis thereby energized and attracts its armature 83, which bridges the twoposts 84 and 85. 4

At all times except as hereinafter noted, during the operation of theapparatus a battery 78 sends current to ground at 87 through one or bothback contacts of two relays 88 and S9 and wire 90, which includes thecoils of a relay 79 and the coils of relay 41. Hence the armature 91 ofrelay 7 9 normally bridges the posts 92 and 93, so that the current froma-battery 95, when relay 8?. is energized, is carried across'thearmature 91 to the coils of a second relay 94 and to ground. Theenergization of relay 94 necessarily follows the operation of relay 31,or, in other words, the two magnets 82 and 94 constitute a timing relaywhich prevents chattering of any of the receiver magnets following theclosing of the line circuit.

Relay 94 attracts its armature 96 and this bridges the posts 97 and 9Sand grounds a attery 99 at the point 109, through the relay 38. in thisway when anykey 23 is depressed, both relays 38 and. 41 are energized,while at other times the current through relay 79 renders the relay 41alone active.

Normally the magnet of the relay 49 is inactive and the current pathinstead of being through the armature 50 to post 51 is througharesistance 52to said post which is capable of regulation in amount, butthe current which is supposed to be sent over the line by the electricalunion of brushes 6 and 8 is a relatively strong current, and hence theresistance at this point should be cut out of the circuit, for whichpurpose the relay magnet 49 should at this moment be energized. v

To go back for a moment, therefore, to explain how this is done. hen anykey 23 is depressed it grounds the battery 24 not only through asunflower segment, but also through a relay magnet 53, and the armatureof this relay 5 1 grounds a battery 55 through the relay magnet 19.Hence when a current, such as we are now considering, comes from brush8, the path for the circuit from post 48 to post 51 is through thearmature 50 and around the resistance 52.

' The star wheel controlling the type wheel, neither of which is shown,is advanced step by step by the armature of the polarized. magnet E,which therefore draws its armature 58 over to the left, since thecurrent impulse is positive, and stops the type wheelin a positioncorresponding to that of the sunflower segment through which current wasreceived from the key 23.

In the Burry system a character which is to be printed may or may not bebrought by the transmitted current impulses to the exact printingposition. For example, it may be displaced one letter space short of thecorrect position, in which case a magnet is used in second circuit toshift the type wheel one letter space to bring the desired character toposition. In my system, however, the strong current impulse resultingfrom the depression of a key 23 brings the desired character one letterspace from the printin position, but associated with the polarized relayis a magnet 59, which responds only to a strong current and its armature60 acts to shift the type Wheel when set by such strong impulse to bringthe proper letter to position.

The same impulse effects the printing,

the feed and other operations as in the- Burry system, which operationsneed not, for the present, be gone into in any detail. It is suflicientto say that when the key 23 is released the conditions established byits depression come to an end, and the parts go on with their normalmovement, that is to say, the sunflower and type wheel continue theirsynchronous movement'until another key is depressed.

Let us now assume that one of the other keys as 61 be depressed. Thisgrounds abattery 62 through the sunflower as before and when the segmentthat corresponds to said key 61 comes under the contact 63 the relay 28is energized and the clutch 9 stops the armature 4. At this instant,however, the armature may be assumed to be in a position 180 from thatshown, that is to say, the insulating segment 5 will now be under thebrush 8, and brushes 6 and 7v will be in electrical union. We maytherefore consider the current as flowing from brush 7 through wire 64;to the right hand magnets 65 of the double relay, which will draw thearmature 33 over to the right and connect the negative pole of a battery66 to wire 36.

Following the path of the current, it flows through wire 36 to post 37,over armature 17 to post 39, thence topost 40 across armature 42 to post-13, both relays 38 2111Cl-t1 being at the moment energized by thetiming relay, and thence by wire 414: through the controllableresistance 45 through wire 16 to post 18.

The relay 4L9 at this instant is inactive as it is closed only by thedepression of one of the keys 23, hence the current from post 48 mustpass through the resistance 52 and thence to post 21 across armature 20to post 22 by wire 56 to post 19 across armature 17 to post 18, andthence by wire 57 to line. This is a weak current and it operates toattract the armature of the polarized escapement magnet E to one side tobring the proper character on the type wheel to printing position, andto perform the other necessary operations in the receiver.

hen no key is depressed, the brushes 7 and 8 are brought alternatelyinto electrical union with brush 6, and impulses of current are sent tothe double relay with the result that alternate impulses are sent overthe line, but these accomplish nothing beyond the advance of the typewheel by the operation of the polarized magnet E. That this will be somay be seen by following the path of the current from either battery 35or 66 through the armature 33. This current passes by wire 36 throughthe resistance 81, since relay 38 is inactive, through the resistance67, 15 and 52 to line, as relay 49 is also inactive.

It will be understood that in the practical use of the system theoperatorat the keyboard has a local printer at hand, and as all printerson the line are always in exactly the same condition he can tell when toshift the paper for lines and return the type wheel carriage to begin anew line. He does this by depressing the key 16, which operates to sendover the line a current of extra or third strength which, received bythe transmitter, operates the other magnets and also the special magnetor magnets that control this operation. By depressing this key 16, thecircuit of relay 15 is broken and its armature is retracted. While thisrelay is active its armature 20 engages a contact 68 and depresses thesame out of contact with a stop 69, hence the circ uit between post 22and post'21 is closed only when relay 15 is energized, but when thiscircuit is interrupted, as it will be by the depression of key 16, thecircuit from the positive or negative poles of batteries 7 0 and 71 ismade by the armature 72 of the double relay to wire 73 to post 69, andthence through contact 68, post 22, wire 56, across armature l7 anddirect to line around all resistances. This results in a heavy currentimpulse that effects on the receiver the desired operation.

It is frequently necessary to repeat a given letter or character,and'this is done by the following means. Assuming a key whichcorresponds to the character to be printed is depressed, then to repeatthat character a key 74: is depressed, which grounds both batteries 24kand 62 through the sunflower and the depressed key. In addition to relay53, thus operated, two other relays 8S and 89 in the circuits of the twobatteries E l-and 62 are also energized, and the armatures of both theserelays are simultaneously attracted and open the circuit from battery78, normally including magnet 79 of tl e timing relay and also the relay41. This, however, does not break the circuit of relay 38, which,however, at the moment has no effect upon the operation, but at the sametime it forces the current to flow through the high resistance 67, sothat when it reaches the receiver it has only strength su'liicient tocause the armature 58 of the escapement magnet to stick after thedesired character has been printed the first time, so that by the seconddepression of the key 74 the same character will be againprinted, orrepeated.

It is desirable that a shunt or bridge con taining a high resistance 81be maintained around the relay 38 to permit sufficient current to leakover the line while the keys are being operated to prevent chattering ofthe receiver magnets. Otherwise its function may be disregarded.

In illustration of the invention I have not shown in all respects themeans which are used practically in carrying it out for obvious reasonsof convenience. For example, where it is necessary to show a source ofcurrent, I have represented this by an independent battery, but to thoseskilled in the art this will be understood to bemerely a convenientmeans of illustrating a tap from any suitable source of electricalenergy. In this and other respects of like nature, it will be understoodtherefore that the illustration is purely diagrammatic,

To summarize now the features which have been'set forth as comprised inthe in vention, the main object, it will be seen, is to operate theBurry system by a single wire instead of two wires. To accomplish this Iuse currents over the line of different strengths. Such currents areobtained by the use of relays which are operated by the keys andother-transmitting devices which throw in or throw out resistances withre spect to the transmission line, whereby, by means of a source ofcurrent of given volt age all the required current strengths areautomatically obtained. Practically, the

system works as well with one line in connection with my improvements asit does with two lines under the plans originally devised.

What I claim is: V

1. In a page printing telegraph system of the kind described, thecombination with a keyboard, a sunflower, a rotary circuit controllerand a clutch magnet operated by currents through the sunflower segmentsto arrest the circuit controller, of relays operated by the keys,according to the characters which they represent and resistances adaptedto be thrown into or out of the line circuit by said relays to causecurrents of such different strengths to flow over the single linecircuit as will produce the operations necessary in the receiver forprinting, feeding and other control of the parts thereof.

2. Ina page printing telegraph system of the kind described, atransmitter for sending impulses of current over a single line,comprising in combination the following elementsa keyboard, a sunflower,a rotary circuit controller and a clutch magnet operated by currentsdirected by the keys through appropriate segments of the sunflower,current paths some with and some without resistances therein and relaysoperated both directly and indirectly bythe keys for directing a currentto the receiver through such of said paths as will contain that amountof resistance which will result in a current of the desired strengthaccording to the key or keys depressed and the nature of the operationto be performed in.

the receiver.

. In a page printing telegraph system of the kind described, atransmitter, for sending impulses of current over a single line,comprising in combination the following elements-a keyboard, asunflower, a rotary circuit controller and a clutch magnet operated bycurrents directed by the keys through appropriate segments of thesunflower, current paths, some with and some without resistancestherein, and relays some of which are permanently closed but 'keycontrolled and others adapted to be con trolled by the depressionof thecharacter keys whereby when a given character key is depressed itestablishes for the current to line a path of predetermined resistancewhereby the current strength of the impulse to line will correspond tothe said key and effect the proper operation in the receiver.

4. In a page printing telegraph system of the kind described, atransmitter for sending current impulses of varying strength over theline, comprising in combination the following elementsa keyboard, asunflower, a circuit controller and a clutch magnet operated by currentsdirected by the keys through the sunflower segments to arrest thecircuit controller, a timing relay in circuit with the clutch magnet andrelays for establishing difi'erent paths for the current to line, all ofsaid relays being under the control directly or indirectly of the keys,and relays which energized by the first named relays throw in or throwout resistances from the line whereby each key will establish for theimpulse which it sends a path of proper resistance to determine thenecessary current strength corresponding to such key.

5. In a page printing telegraph system of the kind described, atransmitter for sending current impulses of varying strength over theline comprising in combination the following elements-a keyboard, asunflower, a circuit controller and a clutch magnet operated by currentsent by a key through the appropriate sunflower segment to arrest thecircuit controller, a path of high resistance through the transmitterover which the circuit controller normally sends impulses to line, a keycontrolled relay for shunting said path around all resistances to send averystrong current, and other key controlled relays for shunting saidpath around more or less of such resistance in order to send currents orvarying strengths to line.

6. In a page printing telegraph system of the kind described, atransmitter comprising a combination the following elements, a keyboard,a sunflower, a circuit controller and a clutch magnet for arresting thecircult controller when operated by current sent by a key through theappropriate segment of the sunflower, a path for current through thetransmitter to line, two relays normally and permanently closed, meansfor controlling the circuits of said relays, and other relays thecircuits of which are controlled either directly or indirectly by thecharacter keys for throwing in or throwing out resistances into thecurrent path for determining the strength of current impulses sent toline by the character keys.

7. In a page printing telegraph system of the kind described, thecombination with a transmitter for sending impulses to line andcomprising a keyboard, a sunflower, a circuit of the kind described, thecombination with a transmitter comprising a keyboard, a sunflower, acircuit controller and a clutch magnet, of means for repeating in theprinter any given character consisting in a repeat key which interposesin the line a resistance so high as to permit only such current to flowas will cause the type wheelescapement magnet to stick so that the nextimpulse transmitted will print the same character.

9. The combination with a keyboard, a sunflower, a circuit controllerand a clutch magnet operated by current sent by a key through a segmentof the sunflower to arrest the circuit controller in one of twopositions, a relay operated by the current impulse sent by the arrest ofthe circuit controller adapted to send positive and nega- 'tive currentimpulses to line, and means controlled by the keys for determining thestrength or" such impulses by the amount of resistance in the linedependent upon the depression of such key.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. I

GEORGE S. HILTZ.

